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SMTB Part 13: God is Dead
JANUARY 15, 2020 RUNAWAY GAMES "Well, hey there, Rin-chan. Long time no see." said Sakura. Rin was holding Beguru, the cat purring loudly with every pet. "Guess this lump missed you." "Guess so. I've wanted one around the house forever, but my brother has allergies. I dunno how a body could resist this level of fluff, but I'm not God, so..." "Well, poopie. So I'm guessing you're not just here about the cat?" Rin turned red. "M-maybe a little...okay, that isn't it. I actually came here for a game recommendation..." "Oh, really? You didn't strike me as the gaming type." "Well, that's just it. Jin and Tenko got me a Switch for Christmas, but I've got no idea what games to get for it. I've realized by now that fighting games aren't my forte, if my 0-56 record against Jin is any indication." Sakura pondered for a moment. "How about a visual novel? I think that'd be right up your alley. There's no real combat involved, they're mainly about following the story, interacting with people, solving mysteries, that sort of thing." "That sounds like it'd be fun. Got anything you'd recommend?" "Hmmm...I think the Ace Attorney Trilogy would be a safe bet. The series is about being a defense attorney and solving crimes. You'd think it wouldn't be much fun, but the cases are great, and the characters are as charming as any you'll find. I've got a physical copy around here somewhere...you've just gotta promise me one thing." "What's that?" "Don't kidnap my cat." "...okay, deal." Rin walked out of the store, game in hand and short one cat. As she walked back to the dorms, she got a message on her phone. "Got a lead. Call me ASAP. - U. Kagetora" As she started to dial, she bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry about tha--" she began, before realizing who she'd bumped into: Kyohei Ishimaru. He looked unkempt, with bags under his eyes, and he had a nervous aura around him. "Y-you...!" Rin uttered. She expected a snide remark, a grandiose proclamation of some kind. What he did next caught her by surprise. He grabbed her shoulders. "Please...help me..." "What...?" He began to shake. "He's going to kill me...if you all clear my heart he'll kill me like he did to Mishima and Hibiki. I'm not the one in control anymore...I don't think I ever really was. I know you have no reason to trust me, at all, but I don't want to die...you've seen what that lunatic is capable of. You know the sway that I have. When I say that I'm afraid for my life, I mean it." Rin paused. "Tell me...who is the Reaper?" "He...if I tell you directly, I'll be dead within the hour. He's too good at covering his tracks...but I beg of you, please put an end to him. I'll confess to everything when I know it's safe...please..." He sulked away. Rin didn't know how to respond. She resumed walking back to the dorms. Rin called her friends over. "Wait, seriously? He asked you to help him?" asked Shūjo. "Yeah. 'Begged' might be more appropriate, though." Rin replied. "Shit, what I'd give to have seen that." Shūjo said with a smirk. "He's really that afraid of the Reaper? But I thought they were working together." Jugo questioned. "That's what I thought. Something's obviously changed. He looked spooked. I think he's actually afraid he might die." "This is so obviously a trap. Soon as we agree to help, that red bastard's gonna come leaping out to take us all down. I don't buy it for a second." Tenko said. "I thought so too. But a guy with his ego, begging for help? I don't think he could fake that. I think we need to make the Reaper our number one priority. Because...I don't want another body on our consciences. Whatever Ishimaru's sins are, we'll deal with later. And also...Ms. Kagetora has some new info for us." Rin explained. "Hiyoko, want to call her up?" "Alright. No arguments here." Hiyoko said. "Put her on speaker." Hiyoko called her aunt. "Hello?" "Hey, Ms. Kagetora. I've got you on speaker. You've got something for us?" asked Rin. "That I do. So, I was looking through any incidents involving anyone within your age group. I found something that sounds like it would be within your Reaper's wheelhouse." "Okay. Hit us." "So...about three years ago, there was a fire that hit an apartment building here in Karakura. Whole place was burned to a crisp. Police suspected arson, but since nobody made it out of the building, they could never confirm with anyone." "Shoot, I remember hearing about that. Over fifty people died. Didn't they identify which room it started in?" Jugo asked. "I was just getting to that. The apartment it started in was owned by one Nobuchiyo Yamatsu. He lived there with his 13-year old son, Nobuhiro." The name caused Rin to freeze. "Rin? What's the matter?" asked Rose. "That name...I...I've heard it before. I knew him, a long time ago..." "Wait, seriously? Well, what was he like?" asked Jin. "Well, I don't remember a whole lot, since I was only five, but...I remember him always staring at me. He would call me a princess, and followed me around. I thought he was creepy, even then. Just something about him made my skin crawl. He just vanished after that year, and I never even gave him a thought til now..." "Good God. This has to be it. Aunt Umi, what happened to Nobuhiro?" Hiyoko asked. "Well, here's where it gets weird. His body was never found. But his father's was. But the really bizarre thing about it...was that his father's body disappeared from the morgue. No one could figure out how the thief got in and out without detection. It was the most bizarre thing." "If he's who we think he is, then we know how he could've done it..." Rose said. "He had his abilities even then? Good grief." Shūjo added. "There's something I don't get, though." Jin spoke up. "Like okay, this Nobuhiro guy fits everything to a T. But...we keep hearing that the Reaper's part of the junior class. If he's our age, why would he be in a class above ours?" "Maybe he had good enough grades to skip an entire level? Faked his age, maybe? It's not unheard of." Tenko replied. "Probably changed his name and appearance, too. How do we even find who he is now?" Jugo asked. "Glad you asked. It turns out our Reaper wasn't so thorough in his younger days. The father's DNA was taken before his body vanished. I was able to have it tested against a few of the younger junior students and...there was a familial match. And you're right. He changed his name, and his appearance looks drastically different from surviving photographs of Nobuhiro. And according to records, his grades before entering the academy were so good that he was able to skip freshman year altogether." "I'll be damned. He found a way to keep up in school between being a murdering psychopath. Who the hell is this guy?" Shūjo asked. "I'm sending Rin the link right now." Rin opened the email on her phone. She stood silently, staring at the face of her murderous tormentor. And it was a face she recognized. She started to shake. The others looked over her shoulder, all of them stunned by what was in the link. "Are you shitting me?!" exclaimed Shūjo. "Him?! He's the bastard?!" Tenko added. "I...I've been played for a sap this whole time. All of us have. I just didn't see it..." said Jugo. Rin put her phone away and started out the door. "Wait, Rin! We need a game plan! We can't just go running at him as we are now!" Rose called out. "Oh, yes I can. All this time, he was right there. You know he could be watching us right now. He could run for the hills at any moment if he knows that we know. We can't let him get away, not now. I'm going to end this." Rin asserted. "Then we're going with you. This is our battle too. Seven-on-one sounds like good odds. And this time, we'll be jumping him." Tenko said. Rin looked at her friends. "Everyone. Thank you. You've been the best partners a girl could ask for. Now...let's finish what we started, once and for all." Everyone nodded. They made their way out the door. Nearby, a man observed from a rooftop. The moon was at his back, despite it still being daylight out. Farquhar bore a look of concern. "At last...the endgame approaches." He vanished. --- YAMADA CAFÉ Yūji took the garbage out to the back of the café. Kamiya and Shinji were with him. "Seriously man, think about it. A street brawler and a ninja." said Kamiya. "Hmm, not bad. We can hunt down a Mad Gear gang leader." Shinji said. "Yes! We can call it Final...something." "I think we're sitting on a goldmine, dude." Yūji rolled his eyes. "Hey, Yūji! Wanna join in? We can have you as the wrestling mayor. You'd be a hit!" Kamiya said. "I don't see any reality where that would happen." Yūji grumbled. "But you'd be co-starring with us." Shinji asserted. "Exactly." Yūji said. As they continued, a figure emerged from the shadows. "Evening, boys." It was Rin, with her hair down, and a look of longing in her eyes. "I had a hankering for some tea, but, looks like I waited a bit too late." she said, cutely brushing her hair with her hands. "Oh, Rin. You caught me by surprise. Where's the rest of the team?" Yūji asked. "Off doing their own thing. I wanted to stop by cuz, I just wanted to give my thanks." "Well, I appreciate any sort of thanks, but what for, exactly?" She approached Yūji in a flirty manner. "Oh, you know...just for having such a comfy meeting spot. And making the best tea in town. Doesn't that earn just a tiny bit of thanks?" She gave him a hug. Yūji bore a confused look. "Umm, Rin-chan...you feeling alright?" Shinji asked. "Oh, I've never been better. I've had...an epiphany. You don't know who's gonna disappear tomorrow, so it's best to let people know how much they've affected you. Like you, Shinji. Was awful nice of you to set Jin up with his voice box. It takes a real creep to do that to a guy, so being reminded that there's good people in the world counts for a lot." She embraced a confused Shinji. Rin opened her eyes in a stern manner. "Something the matter, Kamiya?" Kamiya bore a frustrated look. He clenched his fist. Realizing he'd been noticed, he dropped the look. "Oh, uh, nope. Just, uh, ate a sour candy. Drives the old taste buds crazy." he said. "Aww, you don't have to be so shy. I was about to get to you. That was a pretty angry look for just a piece of candy, though. Almost...jealous?" "Jealous? Pfft. I mean, you're a pretty girl, don't get me wrong, but--" "It's gotta drive you nuts, right?" She approached Kamiya. She put her hand to his heart. "Hunh. You got some kind of condition? That's a pretty crazy heart rate you've got going there. I mean, yikes." "I uh, just lifted something heavy. Right, guys?" "Kamiya, you haven't done heavy lifting all day. What's going on?" Shinji said. Rin stared into Kamiya's eyes. "You know...I hadn't seen that look in almost 12 years. Just, that puppy dog look. You can change your looks, your name...but that lovey-dovey look in your eyes still sticks. It'd be cute if I didn't know what was behind it." A bead of sweat rolled down Kamiya's face. "Know what the look's telling me now? 'Sheesh, how'd she ever find me out?' That sound about right? It helps to have the right people in place to help." She stayed close to him. "You must've felt so powerful. Being close enough to spy on me, yet far enough away that you'd never look suspicious. It must've given you such a kick. But here's the thing. You should've known that you made a mistake somewhere. But it happened years ago, so why worry about it? Well, guess what...you should've worried about it. Nobuhiro." Kamiya began to turn pale. "What is she talking about? Who's Nobuhiro?" Yūji asked. Rin leaned in close. "I'm just gonna say this. I don't care where you got these powers. I don't care about what made you this way. You hurt my family, my friends, and me. All I care about now, is getting in close like this, and telling you..." She whispered in his ear. "...you lose." She stepped away. His eye began to twitch. He started to smirk. He turned away, and then burst into uncontrollable laughter. He turned back around. "Hey, Shinji. I'm gonna have to take a rain check on that TV pilot." He turned to Rin. "Clever bitch." He quickly drew a revolver from seemingly nowhere, only for Shūjo to appear and tackle him. Rose appeared next to a shocked Yūji and Shinji. "I'd advise you both to get inside." she said, and they quickly did so. Kamiya tried to grab his revolver, but Jugo appeared and kicked it away, before helping to pin him to the ground. "Not today, you son of a bitch!" Shūjo yelled. The rest of the group ran to Rin's side. "You alright?" Tenko asked. "I'm alright...totally alright." Rin answered. Kamiya continued to struggle. "Knock it off, bastard. You've got nowhere else to run. It's over." Jugo said firmly. Kamiya snickered at this. "Over? Really? I've got some news for you lunks..." His eyes turned yellow. He let out a burst of aura that sent Shūjo and Jugo flying. He stood up, surrounded by shadowy flames. "This shouldn't be possible...how are you doing this here?!" Rose demanded. "Your pops hasn't told you shit, has he? You idiots haven't even scratched the surface. And you'll never get the chance." Kamiya made a break for it. "He's not getting away now! Let's go around, hurry!" Rin yelled. They gave chase. Kamiya made it to the boys' dorms. He pried open a hole into the other world. "I've been made, man. It wasn't supposed to happen this quick. It's officially 'shit's gotten fucked' o'clock. Got any ideas?!" "Ishimaru. So long as he is toppled, the order of events matters not. Give them no choice but to travel there. And then, the final foundation stone will be laid out. Now, go." "Aye aye, captain." He shut the hole, and ran into the dorm. The group arrived immediately after. "He went inside, come on!" They ran inside. Soon, they came across a wide open door that looked like it had just been kicked in. They walked in. Ishimaru lay against the wall, looking panicked. "He...he's in there...he's inside of my..." he uttered. "Dammit, we're too late. Guess there's no other option, now." Jugo said. "Rosie. You know what to do." Tenko added. "Alright. Everyone steady yourselves. He's already insanely powerful, but now we've made him desperate." Rose said. "The cornered rat will bite the cat. Just means we have to bite first. Let's end this." Rin said firmly. A door appeared, and they stepped into it. "...I never thought I'd say this. But please, Ringo Kubo...don't let me die." Ishimaru said. --- The group appeared before a giant white tower in the middle of a desert. They saw that the door to the tower had a giant hole blasted in it. "Holy shit. Someone isn't playing around." Shūjo said. "Yeah. But neither are we. Come on." Rin urged. They went inside the tower. Within the tower was a large spiral staircase encircling the entire building. After entering, the group was immediately met by a Shadow guard being dropped to the ground from up above. It had been shot numerous times, and quickly faded away. They could hear laughter echoing out. "Shit, this ain't even good target practice. No fun shooting at mindless figments...I need something with a brain." More shadow guards dropped to the bottom. "This might be cheating the rules a bit, but so what? Rules are meant for the weak to follow...ain't that right, Dad? Just gotta have a little bit of power, and the rules don't mean shit..." "Daddy issues...typical." Jin said. "If he did sneak into the morgue, I don't want to know what he did with the body..." added Hiyoko. They ventured forward. The voice echoed out again. "Mama always said, life's like a Dragonball Z episode." An explosion could be heard. "Ya never know who's gonna get blown the fuck up." He cackled again. "Run, Rinnie, RUN!" After several minutes, the group reached the top. There was a door that had been blown open. "I hope we aren't too late..." Rose said. They passed through the door. Outside, Kamiya, garbed in his Reaper robes, save for having his hood down, pointed a revolver at Ishimaru's Shadow. He was garbed in a white shihakusho, and sat on a throne. "So that's the way it's gotta be, Ishi. Don't worry. Your death won't be for nothing..." Kamiya taunted. "You...what is the meaning behind this? Was my payment not enough for you?" the Shadow asked. "Sorry, bruh. But someone else's cashing my checks. And the payment's gonna be so much better than just money." "Insolent traitor...there are consequences for this kind of rebellion. Do you realize what I can do to you? Do you fear nothing?" "Nothing within your power, Ishi. Now sit tight. This'll only hurt for a while--" "Stop right there!" The group appeared. "Tch, about time you sloths showed up. I felt myself aging waiting for you all." Kamiya griped. "Just what are you trying to do?" Rin demanded. "Umm, shooting the evil dude? Something y'all were gonna get to anyway? I should be getting thanks for this." "Thanks? You think leaving more bodies is something to be thanked for?" Hiyoko asked. "I mean, you guys know who you're trying to save here, don't you? Mr. 'I'm gonna use this school to overthrow the government'. You know damn well this guy ain't worth saving. He'll drop like the other two, and then you'll all be thanked for getting rid of the local tyrant. I'm not seeing a downside here." "For real, Rinnie, I can make you into the goddess I see you as. This school should be worshipping you. You're exactly what the New World's gonna need. Everything I've done was for the sake of improving your lot. Now you've just gotta let me end this four-eyed dweeb, and you'll be like a deity to the faceless masses. You'll save an entire generation from this disease. So let. Me. Shoot. Him." Kamiya said. "I'm not gonna play any part in your insane 'new world order'. I don't care about notoriety or whatever you're promising. It's worthless if it's built off the blood of others. I'm not letting you make another corpse. You're gonna get destroyed, right here, right now." Rin asserted. Kamiya cackled. "'Not gonna play a part', eh? Just give me 10 minutes." He drew his revolvers, and put up his hood. "In 10 minutes time...you won't have a choice." He fired and struck them all, but they all vanished after being hit. "The hell?!" he exclaimed. Suddenly, Jin appeared behind him in a dark cloud of smoke. Ongyo-ki was behind him. "Boo." His Persona swung its weapon, but it was blocked by the forearm of Kamiya's own Persona. "You forget I've got one of these too?!" Kamiya yelled. "Hyperion! Crush him!" Before he could attack, he was slashed in the back. Jugo stood behind him, Sanjuro summoned forth. "We didn't forget, genius. You just don't spook us anymore." Jugo retorted. "The fuck'd you say?!" Kamiya angrily spouted. He shot towards Jugo, only for the shots to be blocked by a wall of light. "Awww, too bad. Couldn't break it this time, eh?" Tenko taunted, Ishtar draped around her shoulders. "That right there's proof enough of what he said. Not such a big-time badass when you're fighting someone with a pulse, are ya?" "S-shut up, bitch! You're not gonna have that pulse much longer--" He tried to fire again, but Shūjo grabbed the gun. Attis was active behind him. "Y'know, we were so sure you were this hyper mega psycho that we'd never be able to touch...but you're just a little punk that got way too much power." He lit his fist alight, and delivered numerous punches to Kamiya's face. He went flying. Meanwhile, Ishimaru's Shadow hid behind his throne, cowering. Kamiya tried getting up. He looked up, and saw Titania floating above him. "Alone we might not be able to take you on. In the shadows you're practically invincible. But out in the open, where we're more prepared?" Hiyoko said. Floating next to Titania was Kikuri-Hime. "All of your options are now moot." Rose said. Both Personas launched bursts of light towards Kamiya. Right before they connected, Tenko erected a barrier around Kamiya, containing the explosion to immediately around him. "Get the monster out of the closet and into the light, and what is he?" Rin asked. When the smoke cleared, a heavily singed Kamiya, his garb in tatters, barely stood. He stumbled over to Rin. "I was...helping..." he said weakly. "Never asked, didn't want it, it wasn't helping." Rin responded. He tried raising his hand to her, then promptly collapsed onto his back. "Did...did we do it?" Tenko asked. "No way, that...that really worked! These new Personas did him in!" Jin exclaimed. "I can't believe we were actually afraid of this guy." Jugo added. "Speaking of guys we were afraid of at one point..." Rin began. "Oh, Mr. President..." Ishimaru's Shadow peered out from behind the throne. "We saved your sorry hide from this looney tune. You gonna play nice from now on?" The Shadow rapidly nodded. "Gonna cop to everything and stop with the whole 'government overthrow' thing?" He rapidly nodded. "Good, good. Now scram." He nodded again, before vanishing. "Alright, now how do we drag this sorry sack of Reese's Feces back home?" Shūjo said. "Not it." Jin replied. "This is...strange." Rose mused. "What's the matter, Rose?" Hiyoko asked. "Ishimaru's Shadow disappeared. So the Palace should be vanishing along with him. Yet..." "Now that you mentioned it, that is pretty weird. Place should've started shaking by now..." Jugo pondered. A bead of sweat went down Rin's face. "What's this feeling? We've won...why do I have this pit in my stomach? This sensation...is this..." "...impending doom?" A dark aura resonated for a split second. The stunned group looked behind them. A tear appeared in the sky above. It seemed to pulsate, as if it were a beating heart. A figure dropped out of the created hole. "It's...it's finally time...it's your time now..." Kamiya grumbled weakly. Rin was dumbfounded. "T...Tohru...?" she uttered. --- "Is...is this some kind of joke?" Tenko asked. "You...you tryin' to fuck with her now, bastard?!" Shūjo yelled at Kamiya. "That has to be some kind of cognition, right...?" Hiyoko asked. "I don't...I don't think it is..." Rose responded. "Tohru...is that...really you?" Rin asked. Tohru gave a smirk. "Is it so hard to believe? This wouldn't be the first time I've defied death within this realm, would it?" Tohru retorted. "But...we saw you disappear that time...you were at peace..." Rin responded. "The minor piece of me I placed in your heart was, yes. The part of me that doubted my purpose in this world. And now that that part has been expunged, I have no further regrets." "Your purpose...what are you talking about? How are you even here?" "That fragment of my soul told you one truth. That I had stumbled upon a portal to Tartarus prior to my demise. But I hadn't elaborated on what I had found. What awaited me within the depths of this world was something far beyond what I had imagined was possible. A being so ancient, so powerful, yet chained to the walls of this stygian hell. This being told me that he was a Titan. Something akin to a god, yet laid waste to by his own progeny. His name..." He snapped his fingers, and behind him appeared a large, monochrome figure with a large beard and runes strewn across his noir form. "Cronus. Bringer of life. Master of time. He promised me a way to achieve that which I seek." "What you seek?" "Salvation. For all mankind. From suffering. From conflict. From death." "September 22nd, 2011. You remember that day clearly, yes? The day that Father was unjustly taken from us. It was such an awful sight for you, surely. I asked myself why it had to happen the way it did. Why the one who recognized my talents before anyone else had to die. Why...this had to happen to anybody. I couldn't accept that he was gone. But you all could so easily. Mother. Hyōtan. And you. That you could still bear that naive smile after that, sickened me. It was as if Father had never existed. And yet, you were perceived by others as the superior one between us. It dawned on me then. Death itself is a disease, a cancer. It erodes a person away, makes it so they don't exist. And then the people left behind are forced to 'move on', pretend that nothing has happened. Living as if the person you loved never existed is akin to conceiding your own powerlessness. And it frustrated me to no end." "Tohru...beings die. Life ends. There's no escaping it. It's just how it is." "That is a loser's concession, Ringo. That's exactly what I have devoted my existence to ending." "Humans spend their entire lives fleeing from death. You hear it all the time. 'I don't want to die.' 'Why did this person die?' So on and so forth. They tell me it is inescapable. On average we'll last around 70 or 80 years on this planet, a mere speck of dust in comparison to the rest of the universe. This fleeting impermanence. You say death can't be escaped from. What if I told you...I have found a way?" Rin grew more confused. "Found a way...to escape death?" "Upon speaking to Cronus, he told me that he could grant me the power to end the disease of death once and for all. But to attain this power, I first needed to experience the horror myself. My physical form could not handle it, but my spirit could. So he pointed towards one who had already received the power to change one's fate. The one you call Kamiya Tsurai. He would serve as my right hand, and in exchange, I would grant him untold power within my new world. A world where the masses would be free from death, free from will, free from the conflicts that have ravaged mankind since its inception. Order and calm would be absolute. And it would all be ensured by the one who they deem a hero. Which brings me...to you, my sister." "Cronus had foreseen that bespectacled buffoon Farquhar granting you the power to change the hearts of people. So I started the process of planting obstacles in your path. Trials that would force you to gain strength. You would fall, only to rise up stronger. That is what my soul fragment was for. To bring you to such a low point that you would have no choice but to rise back up. And if that were to fail, then at least you could serve as a backup for my will. Because the people of this world demand salvation, and they will only heed the word of one whom they revere as a deity. The Reaper was to turn the populace against the advent of death. And then you, dear sister, would overcome his every trial, overcoming death at every turn. The people would embrace you. I understood that much from growing up with you. It's exactly whom the obedient populace of the new world would look to for guidance. Alongside her consort." Kamiya raised his hand. "Yo." "With untold power at your disposal, you would give rise to a new race of deities that would reshape the world into perfect balance. Earth would no longer be subjected to war or death ever again." "This is pure nonsense!" Rose interrupted. "Why would Rin ever agree to such an insane plot?" "Seriously! Nowhere in your shitting huge monologue was there a good reason why she'd go along with it!" Shūjo yelled. "Ah, the puppet girl speaks. I had wondered who my sister had replaced me with. The kind of obedient servant who would thrive in the new world." "Shut up! I'm not Rin's servant." "Exactly what a servant would say. Hmph. As if I'd never existed." "But the time for talking is finished. The past year of my spirit being tempered and strengthened by the Titan has granted me untold power over life and time themselves. My desires cannot be fully expressed in mere words." The Palace shook, and a light emanated from seemingly nowhere. The group found themselves transported to the front of the Academy, back in their school uniforms. "We're back here?! How the--" Tenko exclaimed. The ground began to shake. "E-everyone! Look!" Rose said, pointing towards the sky. The sky turned red. The buildings all turned an eerie shade of green. And in the center of town, a giant building arose from the ground, destroying everything above it. "That building...that's...Tartarus?!" Rose exclaimed. A distorted laugh could be heard behind them. "Indeed...the fortress of the planet's cognition now lies in full view." said a distorted voice. Tohru floated down before the group. A shadowy aura radiated around him, and his eyes glowed yellow. "I have enacted the process of fusing the cognitive world with the real world. Now with fantasy being combined with reality, thus begins the end of humanity's ability to control their own thoughts. The world I desire is now within my grasp! And as for you, sister..." "Tohru, stop it, please! This plan of yours is going to destroy everything, not make it better! You can't just destroy the order of things like this!" Rin pled. "I can, I have, and I will. And as for why you would agree to governing over mankind as a goddess..." He put two fingers together. "It's because you won't have anything here to keep you attached to the current world." He snapped his fingers. Time itself came to a standstill. Everything, from the people, to the cars, wind, water, everything stopped completely. Rin opened her eyes. "What have you done, Tohru...?" she asked. "I've ceased this planet's movements, save for those who remain defiant in their hearts to my cause. I'll not let this world degrade any further than it already has. And as for those who reject my will..." "I'm...I'm feeling faint..." Hiyoko grogged. "Hiyoko? What's wrong? Another fainting spe--gh!" Jugo began, before falling to his knees. The others all followed suit, save for Rin. "Guys?! What's wrong?!" Rin exclaimed. "A life of immortality becomes all the more torturous when one is bonded to the mortal realm. So rather than concern yourself with a select few, I'm freeing up your ability to focus on the whole of mankind." Tohru explained. "This is...Torhu, just stop...I don't want this..." "Life is about making the difficult choices, sister. A deity must be devoted to the needs of the many over the few. So those with rebellion in their hearts, those whose hearts reject the new world, and those whom you have bonded with...must disappear." "D-disappear? We're going to--" Hiyoko began, before turning into shadow and dissipating. "Hiyoko!" Shūjo exclaimed. "Dammit to hell...! Is this...really it--gah!" Jugo grogged before dissapearing. Shūjo struggled to get up. "Disappear my ass...I'm not gonna...go out like this...!" He attempted to punch Tohru, but dissipated before the hit could land. "I...I don't wanna...I can't, not now...I don't wanna die--" uttered a panicked Jin, before vanishing. A horrified Tenko, tears in her eyes, turned to Rin. "Rin-Rin...where...where did we go wro--" She also vanished. "Rin, I..." uttered a faint Rose. Rin kneeled next to her. "No, no no no no no no..." "I'm sorry...I never should've taken you to that world...but...I can at least be happy that...I could be your sister, even if it was for a little while." She gave a weak, teary smile. "Thank you, Rin...I'm sorry..." She dissipated away. Rin slowly rose from the ground, her gaze darkened. "I know this is a difficult thing to accept. But better to do it now than watch as they crumble away over several years. You will learn to accept it." Tohru bellowed. "Accept...? Difficult...? Do you even hear what's coming out of your mouth...?" she uttered, clenching her fists. "I merely speak the truth. It's unbecoming of a figurehead to be so attached to minor things." Rin rapidly turned around, tears in her eyes. "SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH, YOU HYPOCRITICAL ASSHOLE!" "You keep going on and on about how horrible death is, how you're going to stop death...and then you murder my friends! Then you tell me to just 'accept' it and move on?! You just moaned five minutes ago about how you thought only losers did that! It's only a problem when it involves you, isn't it?! When it's me, you've got no issues destroying everything. You don't give a damn about saving the world. You just want me to be second to you, just like it's always been. You're gonna ruin the entire world just because you could never, ever stand me being successful at anything you weren't. I'll never go along with your stupid plan. Ever. You're as bad as the guy who murdered Papa." She paused. "Actually, no. I take that back. You're worse. Because at least he apologized for what he did." Tohru was silent for a moment. "Lambast me all you want, sister. My ego is dead. You'll be coming around to my way of thinking soon enough. There is nothing left for you here. So I'll let you figure that out for yourself. When you finally come to your senses, come to the center of town. Our world can finally begin then." He disappeared. Rin stood in silence. Then, she slumped to her knees. She put her hands to her face. The only sound to be heard around the unmoving town were her sorrowful cries.